How to improve engine performance: Air Filters

Hello guys. Some of you have probably got used to the usual topics that we’re writing here at Ask Tuning. But, starting today we’re going to add a completely new style of articles, those that can help you choose what is best for your car and how to improve it. Today we’ll talk about air filters, a small component in our car’s engines, you might say, but how important is a good air filter after all? Read more here…

Each and every car comes with an air filter from factory, properly designed by the car manufacturer to ensure a high engine performance. But what car manufacturers don’t know is what kind of driver will ride the car, so it’s almost impossible for them to design the proper components for aggressive drivers, beginners and so on. That’s why special companies have developed better technologies to improve the engine performance, even by changing this small component called the air filter.

If you want to see some increases in your car’s performance, you might want to upgrade the default box air filter to a sport air filter. Though, this is not enough. Always make sure your air filter will be installed by someone who knows very well what he’s doing or, if possible, by a specialized company. An incorrectly installed air filter will make your engine performance go down. If your car wasn’t turbocharged and someone simply ‘drops’ the air filter in the engine, your will realize the car actually runs lower.

The explanation is simple: the air filter receives cold air from outside, which contains a high level of oxygen. The car’s engine ignites by using a properly scaled mix of gas and oxygen, so if there is not enough oxygen the engine will heat up and eventually run slower, with lower horsepower. The best way to improve the engine performance of your car is to buy a sports air filter with an air box. The regular air filters also contain an air box, but the sports one is specially designed with thermostatic materials, so the air will go inside your engine as cold as possible.

Tune in for our car improvement guides, and read our “How to improve engine performance” series. See you next time with some more tips to make sure your car runs as good as possible.